gender identity

Gender Identity

for people seeking help and advice

for gender issues

Gender dysphoria is a condition where a person experiences discomfort or distress because there is a mismatch between their biological sex and their perceived gender identity. Whilst biological sex is assigned at birth depending, for example, on the appearance of the genitals, gender identity is the gender that a person 'identifies' with or feels themselves to be. A person may therefore express their gender in range of ways - as gender variant, transgender, transsexual, transvestite, genderqueer, androgynous or intersex. Gender dysphoria is not the same as transvestism or cross-dressing and is not related to sexual orientation. A person can identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual or asexual and their sexual orientation can change as treatment and transition progresses.

Sometimes the discomfort or distress caused by this mismatch is so strong that a person feels the need to seek help in order to discuss their feelings and receive diagnosis and support from an experienced professional in this field.

I offer advice and support to people with issues about the expression of their gender who are at the early stages of considering how they might want to proceed.